Morrison takes loss on the chin but throws parting bomb

There were nine remits, scathing about how B+LNZ leaders are handling discussions to reduce on-farm emissions, and a motion of no confidence against the board.

Chairing the meeting was Gore farmer Andrew Morrison, who was days earlier voted off the board and chairmanship by southern South Island sheep and beef farmers.

Speaking to Rural News after the AGM, Morrison agreed that it was "quite a unique day".

"I was voted out, but you still have to chair the meeting," he says.

Morrison was defeated by Southland sheep and beef farmer Geoffrey Young, who received 8,777 weighted votes against 6,587 votes for Morrison - a winning margin of 2,190 votes.

The southern South Island electorate covers the Southland region and Clutha district. Morrison was first elected to B+LNZ in 2014 and became the chair in 2018.

He says losing to Young was not a surprise in one way.

"Of course, no one wants to lose an election. But if you look at election process globally post pandemic, people have voted for change," Morrison told Rural News. "But we value our democracy."

Morrison was critical of what he called lies and misinformation spread by people including some in rural media.

"I have always stood in front and taken all the bullets and I would challenge reporters to put their names to everything they report."

Morrison believes B+LNZ has done some great work on behalf of farmers over the last six years.

He points out that concerns raised at the AGM were around its advocacy position on just one subject - He Waka Eke Noa.

"None of us are surprised because this is the most complex debate that every country and sector is having," he explains.

"To put things into context, that's what we were sitting with at the AGM - nine remits and a vote of no confidence related to HWEN."

Morrison says he wears the farmer backlash on the chin.

"We haven't had the ability to take them on the climate change journey and the best system to facilitate that journey."

Asked if he would have done anything different in hindsight, Morrison says he would have liked the Government to have given them more time.

"More time for the most complex debate, starting up a world first in agriculture emissions reporting," he adds.

"I think all of us have been naïve as to how big a job this was going to be, both in building and taking our sectors along with us."

Morrison said he met with a bunch of kiwifruit growers the other day.

"They haven't even started any of these conversations because they have still got nitrous oxide impacts.

"It's not criticising them, but saying this is a hell of a challenge for multiple sectors."

Personally, Morrison thinks working with other sectors is the way forward.

"The relationships of sectors and trust are imperative and success for all sectors is actually the same," he says.

"We identify what our issues are and then basically own our issues as sectors and then facilitate the solution."

Morrison believes there is confusion that some sectors are being treated harshly.

"I would contest we need to spend more time and get all our levy payers understanding that, because I challenge them that's not the case."

Morrison says he will now spend more time with family and concentrate on his other governance roles in agriculture.